Killing Me Softly
by KellyMortimore
Summary: Things turn sour in One Tree Hill. Haley's in the hospital. Peyton is gone. From start to finish, I guarantee this story will shock you! Mature content... Which makes it even better!
1. Trouble

Chapter 1: Trouble

"Go play, honey." Haley whispered, patting her son's head before he bolted out of the kitchen. Now all she had to face was her true problem--Nathan. "Why are you here?"

"I had to see you Haley." Nathan whimpered, tone turning soft. "I'm sorry. I truly am. I want to come home and be with you." he paused. "And Jaime."

"I can't Nathan." Haley sighed, turning away from him. She rubbed her head as a dull headache surfaced. Stress had run rampant in her life this past week.

"Please, Haley! Please!" he whispered.

"I thought you were better than what you did to me Nathan." she hissed quietly. "You were the one! I was so convinced that you wouldn't go back to your old ways! I can't get hurt again!" she buried her face in her hands and sobbed. "I just can't."

"I don't want to hurt you!" Nathan murmured, longing to embrace her in a comforting hug.

"You already did!" she sobbed, glaring at him. Her headache grew worse, and it was starting to cloud her vision.

"It was the Carrie! I didn't kiss her Haley! She kissed me!" Nathan pleaded, eyes imploring his sobbing wife.

"Likely story." Haley snapped, calming her cries and hiding the pain that built in her head. "You're just like any other guy."

"Haley. Please." Nathan hung his head, feeling as if he was just slapped in the face. "I'm so sorry."

"Nathan-" Haley grabbed her forehead as a blinding pain consumed her and she collapsed to the floor.

"HALEY!" Nathan yelled, lunging for her. "Haley? Baby?" Haley fell limp as Nathan scrambled for the phone.

"9-1-1 what is your emergency?" an operator answered.

"My wife. She's collapsed." Nathan informed her frantically.

"What's your address?" the operator asked.

"4347 Pine Avenue."

"What is your wife's name?"

"Haley."

"Is Haley breathing?" the operator inquired.

"I don't…" Nathan rushed to Haley and checked her pulse and lungs. "She isn't breathing! Oh God, she isn't breathing!"

"Is Haley's heart beating?" the operator asked.

Nathan pressed his ear to her heart. "Her heart isn't beating! Is she dead!?"

"Calm down. Help is on the way. Stay on the phone." the operator said calmly. "What is your name?"

"Nathan. Nathan Scott." Nathan said.

"Okay, Nathan. You need to start CPR." the operator said. "And it's going to sound very unpleasant when you start compressions, but you have to keep going."

**_OoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO_**

"Would you knock it off?" Brooke laughed, hitting Peyton in the arm playfully.

"What? It's true!" Peyton giggled. Lindsay, Lucas's fiancée, was always the punch line for every joke in their house since they found out about her. It was a way to get over the numbing pain of betrayal that sat in the middle of Peyton's heart.

Peyton lifted another shot of vodka to her mouth, but Brooke quickly put her hand on the top of it. "No more drinks for you girlie." she laughed, grabbing the vodka and downing it herself. "You've had too many." Brooke grabbed the bottle and dashed to the couch.

"Brooke! Why can't I have just one more?" Peyton whined, following her.

"Because you've had too many this week." Brooke propped herself up on the couch and laid her legs on Peyton when she sat down. "I'm tired of seeing you wasted every night. Your liver must be screaming in protest by now."

"I'm not even wasted!" Peyton laughed.

"Uh-huh." Brooke said, narrowing her eyes in her hopeless friend's direction. "A boy should not bring you to do this to yourself P. Sawyer."

"He's not just a boy." Peyton muttered. "He's Lucas Scott." Peyton snatched the vodka bottle away from Brooke and chugged it while fighting a stunned Brooke off with her free hand. "There." Peyton sighed, wiping off her mouth and handing the bottle back to Brooke. "You can have it now."

"That's it." Brooke muttered, swinging her feet off the edge of the couch and setting the empty vodka bottle on the coffee table. "You need help."  
"I wouldn't be talking if I were you." Peyton snapped.

"Why are you doing this to yourself?" Brooke demanded, grabbing her by her shoulders. Peyton's smile faded into a frown.

"He was the one Brooke." she whispered, fighting the onslaught of tears that greeted her every night when she got drunk.

"How do you know there isn't someone else out there for you?" she asked. "I'm sure you will find someone who will make you happier than Lucas did."

"There is no other level of happiness for me Brooke." Peyton's eyes spotted Lucas's novel on the coffee table.

Brooke's cell phone pierced through the silence. Brooke kissed Peyton's forehead before scrambling to get her cell phone. "Stay here." She ran over to the counter and answered it. "This is Brooke Davis."

"Brooke!" a male voice asked frantically.

"Who is this?"

"It's Lucas!"

"What's wrong? What's going on?" Brooke inquired.

"It's Haley. She's in the emergency room." Lucas cried.

"Oh my god!" Brooke gasped. "Okay, um…I'll be down there as quick as I can." Brooke hung up her phone and raced over to the couch. "I can't really leave you here, 

so come on." She threw Peyton's arm around her shoulder and picked her up off the couch.

"Where are we going?" Peyton groaned.

"Haley's in the hospital." Brooke said.

"Are you kidding!?" Peyton exclaimed. Brooke grabbed her purse off the table on the way out the door.

"I wish I was." Brooke frowned, helping Peyton through the door.


	2. Hate

Chapter 2: Hate

"You okay?" Brooke whispered, brushing hair out of Peyton's eyes.

"Ya, it's just a slight buzz." Peyton waved her off before Brooke turned back to watching the red numbers climb higher and higher in the elevator. The elevator door's slid open and exposed them to hurried nurses running up and down the halls.

"I'm guessing this is ICU." Brooke whispered, grabbing Peyton's hand and leading her down the hall to the nurse's station. "Hi. I'm Brooke Davis and we're here to see Haley Scott."

"Haley Scott?" the nurse flipped through some papers. "Is down doing a CAT scan but the rest of the party is waiting in the waiting room down the hall and to your left. She should be done shortly."

"Thank you." Brooke smiled, leading Peyton down the white hallway. "Nathan!" Brooke let go of Peyton's hand as she ran toward the dark-haired mess and tackled him in a hug. Brooke pulled away from him and began firing off questions.

Meanwhile, Peyton thought twice about joining all of them. She could see Lucas hugging Brooke as they both answered her questions about Haley. Peyton wanted to stay there for Haley, but she didn't want to have to face Lucas. Especially when she was drunk.

"Oh!" Peyton gasped as she turned around quickly and ran into a young doctor. "I'm sorry." Peyton hung her head and moved around him.

"Is something wrong?" he asked, grabbing her arm before she could leave. She stared up at the green-eyed, brown-haired doctor who had a warming grip on her.

"I just--can't stay here." she whispered, starting to pull away.

"Are you feeling ill?" he inquired. Peyton stole a glance at Brooke who was starting to search for her.

"Please." Peyton pleaded. "I really have to go." She tugged away from him and ran past the nurse's station and to the elevator. Her fingers trembled as she furiously clicked the down arrow.

"You dropped this." a voice said from behind her. She turned around to see the young doctor holding a ring out to her. The ring that her mother had given her before she died. The ring that she hadn't found until three weeks ago in storage. The ring that meant the world to her.

"Thank you." she mumbled, snatching the ring and slipping it onto her ring finger on her right hand.

"I'm Dr. Taylor. You can call me Greg if you want." he smiled, shaking her hand.

"Peyton." she said quickly, shaking his hand and turning back impatiently to the elevator. Greg's beeper went off.

"Jeez." he muttered. "Well, it was nice to meet you Peyton. I'll see you around." She gave him a faint smile as he rushed down the hall.

"Hurry up!" Peyton hissed at the elevator, pounding on the down arrow.

"What did that ever do to you?" a voice asked from behind her. Peyton turned to see Lucas staring at her.

"I'm sorry about Haley." she whispered, turning back quickly. The pain throbbed in her heart.

"She's back in her room now." he said quietly. "If you wanted to see her."

"No thank you." Peyton said bitterly.

"Is something wrong?" Lucas asked, touching her arm. Peyton yanked away angrily.

"Leave me alone Lucas." she hissed. "Don't touch me or talk to me or anything!" she slurred, moving to the other elevator door.

"What is wrong with you?" Lucas exclaimed. "You've been avoiding me all week and the one time I see you, you yell at me! What did I do?"

"WHAT DID YOU DO!?" Peyton exclaimed in a mocking tone. "You were always the one to rescue me Luke. You were always there for me, and you saved me practically every day! I never _**ever **_thought you'd do anything to hurt me, but you're killing me!"

"How am I killing you?" Lucas inquired angrily.

Peyton pointed at Lindsay who was walking towards them. "What is with this Luke? I thought you asked _**me **_to marry you!"

"You said no!" Lucas yelled. "She said yes!"

Peyton caught herself before she stumbled. "I thought you would wait. I didn't think that--" The fight had gathered more viewers. Brooke broke through the gawking crowd.

"Oh, Peyton." Brooke whispered, trapping her in a hug as Peyton buried her head in her shoulder and cried. "Nothing to see here people. Go on." Brooke shooed everyone away and everyone left except the four of them.

"I'm going to go check on Haley." Lindsay whispered to Lucas, disappearing back down the hallway awkwardly.

Brooke pressed the down button on the elevator and watched the numbers rise until it got to their floor. "Brooke-" Lucas started.

"Go be with Lindsay." Brooke said nodding her head in the direction Lindsay left in. The elevator door slid open and Brooke drug Peyton inside. Peyton tore away from Brooke and stuck her head outside the elevator.

"Why did you save me all those times if you never cared?" Peyton asked, quieting her sobs.

Lucas was silent.

"Do me a favor then." she said before the elevator doors closed. "Quit saving me."


	3. Answers

Chapter 3: Answers

"How is she?" Brooke asked, dropping her purse in the waiting room seat. Lucas was the one to answer her.

"She's still unconscious, but the doctor said the results should be in soon."

"And Nathan?" Brooke asked.

"In there with Haley." Lindsay replied, motioning towards a hospital room door that had "207" in big, black letters. Brooke shrank into a waiting room chair and buried her face in her hands.

"How's Peyton?" Lucas whispered, sitting in an empty chair next to Brooke.

"She's been better." Brooke shrugged, staring down at her hands in her lap. "I'm really worried about her."

"Brooke, I-"

"It's okay Luke." Brooke whispered, staring into his eyes comfortingly. "She's going to need time." She paused before adding, "Lots and lots of time."

A doctor with two nurses walked into Haley's hospital room. Minutes later, a tear stained Nathan appeared in front of all of them. He shut the hospital room door behind him slowly.

"What's going on?" Brooke asked, racing over to Nathan and wrapping her arms around him.

"They're…uh…doing blood work on her right now." Nathan said distantly.

"Come sit down." Brooke instructed him over to an empty seat. Everyone watched as Nathan started to cry. "Did they find out what's wrong with Haley?"

Nathan shook his head. "The blood work hasn't come back yet."

Brooke rubbed his back comfortingly. "I'm sure they will find out something soon." Nathan hung his head.

"I'm just really worried." he sobbed. "They should have had something by now!" "Calm down." Brooke whispered, making small circles with her thumb against his back. "Everything is going to be okay." Brooke's cell phone went off beside her. With her free hand she answered it and lifted it to her ear. "This is Brooke Davis."

"Hey Brooke! It's Mia." a voice broke through the phone line.

"Oh, hey! How's the tour going?" Brooke asked.

"Good, good." Mia shrugged. A moment of silence filled the phone line.

"Well this isn't really a good time. So I-"

"Oh, sure." Mia apologized. "Sorry. I was just wondering if Peyton was with you. She isn't answering her cell phone or your house phone."

"Um, Peyton isn't feeling too well." Brooke replied meekly. "I'm sorry. I'll have her call you when she feels better though."

"Thank you. That would be great." Mia gushed. "Uh, I guess I'll talk to you later." Brooke shut off her phone and tossed it in the seat beside her.

"Who was that?" Lindsay asked.

"Mia. She was just calling for Peyton." Brooke shrugged, turning back to Nathan. "Haley's going to be fine Nathan." Brooke whispered reassuringly.

"Mr. Scott?" the doctor asked, stepping out into the hall. "May I speak with you alone for a moment?"

Brooke nudged him and nodded to him reassuringly. Nathan sighed and followed the doctor down the hall, but not all the way out of everyone's sight.

"Mr. Scott, I have some news." the doctor frowned, tucking his clipboard under his left arm. "We found what is wrong with Haley after many MRI run-throughs and CAT scans. She seems to have high blood pressure problems which led to her brain shutting itself down. Ergo, causing her to collapse."

"Is she going to be okay?" Nathan choked out.

"I'm quite positive she'll be just fine after we prescribe medication for her. She needs to be hospitalized overnight though. Just to let her body recuperate itself." the doctor shrugged.

"Yes, of course!" Nathan sighed reluctantly.

"Well, thank you Mr. Scott. I'll let you know when Haley wakes up." the doctor patted Nathan on the shoulder.

Once the doctor disappeared into his office, Nathan took off back down the hall to tell the people in the waiting room. Brooke was first to jump at him.

"Well? What did he say? Was it good? Was it bad?" she said all in one breath.

"Well…" Nathan put his hands on his hips and hung his head. "It's definitely not as bad as I thought. She just has high blood pressure which led to her collapse." Brooke rushed and hugged Nathan.

"That's great!" she exclaimed. She pulled away from him. "I mean the 'not as bad as we thought' part." Brooke stepped away so Lucas could hug him.

"Well, I'm going to tell Peyton the good news. I'll be back soon." Brooke grabbed her purse and rushed down the hallway.

_**OooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO**_

"Peyton?" Brooke called, unlocking the house door. She threw her keys on the brown plate and set her purse beside it. "Why is it so dark in here?" Brooke wondered out loud, turning on a lamp in their living room. A chill ran up her spine and made her shiver. She searched around the living room trying to locate a draft. "Peyton?" Brooke called again, hanging onto the banister and shouting up the stairs. A deafening silence answered her.

She sighed and crept into the dark bedroom that was P. Sawyer's. "Rise and shine-" Brooke flipped on the light and gasped in horror. The window was shattered, scattering thousands of glass shards around the room. The white curtains were fluttering in the light breeze. Brooke looked over at Peyton's bed that was turned upside-down. "PEYTON!?" Brooke called again, hoping and praying that her best friend answered.

When silence answered her question she sprinted to the phone. "Yes. I need the police here right away. There's been a kidnapping."


	4. Awake

Chapter 4: Awake

"Mr. Scott?" A blonde nurse inquired, walking out into the crowded waiting room.

"Uh-That's me." Nathan scrambled to his feet.

"Haley is awake now." the blonde nurse smiled, motioning toward her room with a manicured hand. "You can go in if you like." Nathan practically ran to the hospital room. "The rest of you can sit tight for little while. We're trying to limit the number of visitors until Haley is moved to a better suited room."

Lucas shrank back down into his chair and Lindsay met him with her comforting hands on his back. "We'll see her in a bit." she whispered in his ear.

"Haley?" Nathan whispered, creaking open the door and peering in at his pale wife lying motionless in a white hospital bed.

"Nathan?" she croaked, slowly opening her eyelids. "Is that you?"

"Ya, honey." he said, tears slipping silently down his eyes. "It's me." He grabbed her hand and kissed it softly. "How are you feeling?"

"Better." she sighed closing her eyes, still lethargic from the sedation medicine. "You know," she gulped anxiously, her mouth dry. "This doesn't fix anything between us." Nathan hung his head and let go of her hand. He grabbed a chair from the corner and pulled it up to her bedside.

"Haley-"

"Nathan." she interrupted, turning her head toward him and looking at him longingly. "You cheated on me." The words hung in the air as it continued to ring through Nathan's ears. "After everything we've been through…" her voice trailed off.

"Haley!" he sobbed. "I don't want a stupid nanny to get in the way of us! I didn't do anything with her! She kissed me! I've told you this-"

"After Carrie told me." she corrected her voice barely above a whisper. "You didn't tell me anything that was going on while it was happening. It makes me question you now."

"It was a mistake!" Nathan defended. "I know I should have told you! But, I just couldn't. It was wrong. I'm really sorry!"

Haley turned and faced the window. Nathan's cold hands turned her tear-stained face back toward him. "I love you Haley." he whispered, their faces inches from each other's. "I don't want to lose you. I'm never going to leave you."

Haley's bottom lip quivered as an onslaught of tears erupted from within her. She buried her head in his chest and wrapped her arms around him, breathing in his sweet smell of cologne. That moment made Haley reinstate everything she was fighting against him. A strong feeling of hunger consumed her. Not hunger for food, but hunger for her love for Nathan that kept her heart beating on a daily basis. She didn't want to lose that feeling by pushing Nathan away.

"I don't want to lose you either." Haley blubbered into his shoulder. "I love you Nathan."

"I love you too Haley." he laughed, sniffling from the tears that dripped from his eyes. Hugging Haley was the best feeling in the world. It was as if the world wasn't turning unless they were together.

"Don't hog all of Haley!" Lucas joked, sneaking into the room. Haley wiped her eyes and opened her arms for her blonde friend. "I missed you!" Lucas whispered, burying his face in her hair. He gave her one last squeeze before he let go.

"I'm feeling much better you guys." she smiled, peeking around Lucas at all the guests smiling at her door. "Thank you for coming."

"Alright! Alright!" an annoying voice cut through. "Everyone out! Move it or lose it!" The blonde nurse said, breaking through the crowd and fanning them back into the waiting room. Lindsay got caught up in the crowd.

"But--I--" she said pointing toward Lucas. The nurse pushed her on before turning on Lucas.

"Eh-hem." she cleared her throat and crossed her arms. Lucas kissed Haley on the forehead before shrinking out.

"I will be back!" he called before the nurse shut the door on him.

_**OooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO**_

A pungent smell of rust and mold filled Peyton's nose. Her eyes watered as the stench burned her nose hairs. She hadn't ever experienced a hangover this bad. Her head was turning as if she were spinning around in circles really fast. Her stomach was working in accord with her head.

"Uggh." Peyton groaned, struggling to open her heavy eyelids. She attempted to move her arms and feet, but she soon found out that they were being held bound to something. "What the-"

"Oh good!" a voice greeted her. "You're up!" Peyton's eyes snapped open only to be greeted by plunging darkness.

"What is this!?" Peyton said, her voice starting to panic.

"I'm so disappointed that you don't remember me." the voice sighed sarcastically. "You would think someone like me would leave a mark." Peyton thrashed, trying to get her limbs free. "Well now I have a chance, don't I?"

A blinding light turned on above her, momentarily blocking Peyton's vision of the now somewhat lit room. A head blocked the light from her eyes. A beaming smile stared down at her; behind it were hungered eyes all worn by a man.

Peyton didn't recognize who he was at first because part of his face was being hidden by a baseball cap. "Still don't know?" he laughed. He gripped the bill of the cap and tossed it aside.

That was the second Peyton started screaming. There, looking her in the face was the person who haunted her nightmares. Derrick.


	5. Help

Chapter 5: Help

"I only left her for ten minutes!" Brooke sobbed, blowing her nose into a tissue and tossing it on the coffee table along with the others. The cop jotted down a couple more notes as she grabbed a couch pillow and hugged it tightly to her chest just as an onslaught of tears poured from her eyes.

"Okay Miss Davis." the cop said soothingly, "Have you tried contacting Miss Sawyer?"

"Yes! I have! Her cell is upstairs on the charger." Brooke cried. The cop sighed and jotted down some more notes.

"Uh, sir?" A young cop interrupted. "The FBI has the samples they need. They did happen to find some blood upstairs by the broken window." Brooke wailed louder into her pillow.

"Thank you Marshall. Go get the Crime tape from the back of the squad car." the cop ordered. He turned his attention back to Brooke. "Does Miss Sawyer have any enemies?"

"No." Brooke blubbered. Something in her brain clicked and she gasped in horror. "Oh my God!" she covered her mouth and started crying again.

"What? What is it?"

"Derrick! Psycho Derrick!" she cried. "He came after her twice, but ended up in jail."

"Marshall?" the cop said urgently into the walkie talky hanging on his shirt.

"Yes boss?"

"Check the local prison for a Derrick." the cop said.

"No. His name is Ian Banks." Brooke cried.

"Negative on a Derrick boss." Marshall said through the walkie-talkie.

"Check for an Ian Banks." The only noise was Brooke's small cries until the radio broke through again.

"Ian Banks escaped this morning from prison. Police are still looking for him." Brooke scrambled to get off the couch and rushed over to grab her purse and coat. "Miss! We need you to stay here!"

"I have to tell Luke! I need to get him over here." Brooke said frantically, stumbling out the door into the dusk.

_**OoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO**_

Brooke didn't wait for the elevator when she got into the entrance in the emergency room. She flew up the stairs, surprised that she wasn't twisting her ankles because of the heels she was wearing. She heard the voicemail from Lucas saying how Haley is fine and that she's being moved and that she's just staying overnight. She swung the door open to the third floor and ran down the hallway, hanging desperately onto her purse so she wouldn't leave it behind.

When she saw Lucas she sprinted harder and faster than she ever had before. He was standing in the waiting room talking to Lindsay and Nathan who was the only ones left. Everyone else had gone home.

"Lucas!" Brooke sobbed, collapsing into his arms.

"Brooke!? What's going on!?" Lucas shrieked, alarmed.

"Pey…Peyton!" Brooke wailed, trying to control her shaking body. Lindsay rubbed Brooke's back and Nathan looked at her in bewilderment, just as Lucas.

"What's wrong with Peyton?" Lucas asked. "Brooke!" He held her up to face him. Her make-up was running down her face and she tried to control her breathing which was fluctuating due to her oncoming sobs.

"Derrick! Derrick took her!" Brooke bawled. Anger and fear surged through Lucas as he took off running down the hallway.

He heard Lindsay say "Who's Derrick?" and he heard Brooke call for him to come back. Nathan kept saying "Oh my God!" Lucas felt bad for leaving Haley suddenly, but this was something he had to do.

But then Peyton's last words echoed in his head. _"Do me a favor then. Quit saving me."_

_**OoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO**_

A loud grinding sound filled Peyton's ears making her jump and shriek at the same time. Her wrists had gone numb, and were probably bleeding, from her tugging on them to get free. With a slightest bit of turning, she would writhe in pain because her wrists were so raw.

"On to part one." Derrick said in an emotionless tone. The glint of the drill bit gleamed in Peyton's eyes. All she could do was scream as hard and long as she could as the drill came closer and closer to her stomach. Derrick fingered the buttons on her blouse before undoing them slowly, trying to torture her in more than just a physical way. "Now this may hurt a little."

He pressed on the drill button as hard as he could and plunged it into Peyton's abdomen. Peyton screamed as the intense pain shot through her body. She could feel her skin twisting and tearing around the common household tool that she used to watch her dad use. Then it looked harmless, now it looked like the tool that was going to kill her. The pain was so blinding and hot that she was slipping into unconsciousness faster and faster. Suddenly, the noise stopped and she was ripped from her stupor and awakened to psycho Derrick pulling a syringe out of her skin. "Oh no darling." he smiled. "You are going to stay awake for this one."

Peyton tried to let out a cry for help, but it caught in her throat. She tried to move her raw wrists, but she couldn't move them. The medicine he injected her with kept her awake and…paralyzed.


	6. Pain

_**Author's Note: **_Hey all. I'm so happy that a lot of you are reading and reviewing my story. It means a lot. Some of you reviewers show concern about me keeping the name "Derrick" even though his real name is Ian Banks. I understand that Derrick is actually her brother's name, but Ian Banks entered Peyton's life as Derrick and they refer to him sometimes as "Psycho Derrick". I like it, and I think it fits better than "Psycho Ian". Enjoy the next chapter everyone! Keep reviewing ;)

Chapter 6: Pain

The police were keeping a close watch on the house, Brooke was staying with Nathan in the hospital, Lucas wasn't heard from, and Lindsay was out searching for him. Haley was unaware about the happenings of all of this. She lay peacefully sleeping in a hospital bed as Brooke and Nathan paced anxiously in the waiting room.

"Come here." Nathan sighed, finally giving into the hug he was dying to give the distraught Brooke. She willingly wrapped her arms around his neck as he bent down and gave her an embracing squeeze. "We will find her. Don't worry."

"I…hope." Brooke blubbered, rushing toward her purse to dig out the last of the tissues she had.

"I really wish I could just get out of the hospital and go find her but-" he pointed toward Haley's hospital room. They had been waiting there all morning and the doctors were finally getting around to signing the discharge papers.

"No, no. I understand. I'm staying here with you. I want to make sure Haley is going to be alright." Brooke interrupted before Nathan could finish. "Maybe the cops should have alerted us that Derrick escaped." Brooke said after awhile. "He did attack Peyton after all. I just wish-" Brooke sat down in a waiting room chair and leaned her head against a wall.

"Are you tired? Do you want me to get you a blanket?" Nathan offered quietly.

"No." Brooke sniffled, dabbing her nose with the tissue. "I can't sleep." Tears silently poured from her eyes. "I can't stop picturing what Derrick would be…"

"Don't torture yourself like that." Nathan whispered rubbing Brooke's back comfortingly. "We're going to find her. Nothing is going to happen."

"I just have a feeling…" Brooke blubbered burying her head in her hands, too scared to finish the sentence.

"Mr. Scott? The discharge papers are signed. Haley's getting dressed." a red headed nurse greeted, nodding toward Haley's room. She flashed her worried eyes at Brooke. "Do you need something miss?"

"No. No thank you." Brooke attempted to smile. Nathan put and arm around her and led her into Haley's room. Haley was coming out of the bathroom just as they came in.

"Hey! I'm so glad-" Haley stopped when she saw Brooke. She finished rolling her sleeve down and rushed over and hugged Brooke. "What's wrong?"

"Derrick took Peyton." Nathan whispered. Haley covered her mouth in horror as Brooke started another round of sobbing.

"Where's Lucas?" Haley finally whispered.

"We don't know. He took off when he found out." Nathan sighed wrapping his arms around his wife.

"Oh my god Nathan…" Haley whispered. "I can't believe…"

"We're going to find her." Nathan reassured her. He kept one arm around Haley as he addressed Brooke. "She's going to be fine."

"I think I really need some sleep now." Brooke sobbed, grabbing her head. Nathan steadied her with his free hand.

"Let's go see if the doctor will give you any sleeping pills." he wrapped an arm around his wife as he led Brooke down the hallway.

_**OoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO**_

Derrick tore the rest of Peyton's shirt and threw it on the floor in the corner. He traced his finger over the black lace that decorated her bra that Brooke had made for her. The horrible part about being paralyzed was that she could feel and hear everything.

Derrick kissed the side of her neck and then moved to her throat, kissing tenderly and slowly before he kissed all the way down her arm. He loosened the restraints and tossed them on the floor with her shirt. "Now then." he smiled cynically, sitting her up. "On to the chair." He lifted her in his arms effortlessly and sat her in a gray, cold chair that was adjacent from the metal table she was just laying on.

She looked at the table he moved her from as he was tightening the restraints on her arms and legs again. It was covered in blood and the drill was lying on a metal tray wheeled up beside it. Peyton looked down to see Derrick kissing each one of her fingertips before spreading them out and placing them over the armrest of the chair.

"Don't move." he cackled and disappeared behind her. Seconds later he reappeared with another household item. It was pliers.

She attempted to scream, but nothing happened. Instead, she cried as hard as she could. A tear slid down her cheek as she blinked another one out. Ever so slowly, she was able to wiggle her fingers.


	7. Don't Go

_**Author's Note: **_Thanks for reading and reviewing so far. Only a few more chapters and the story's almost done. There is a minor warning here. This chapter is partly gruesome and gross. Sorry, but I'm trying to get the point across with the "Torturing Peyton" thing. Haha. Reviews and comments are much appreciated. :)

Chapter 7: Don't Go

"We need to find Lucas." Haley whispered as Nathan pulled her in for a hug. In a minimum of one hour, they had gotten Brooke sleeping pills, driven her home, talked to the police, and called Lucas's cell phone three million times. They both had decided that it was best if they stayed with Brooke, so they had called Deb to watch Jaime back at home.

"I know baby." Nathan sighed. "There isn't anything we can do right now." Someone cleared their voice from behind them and they turned to look.

"I'm sorry Mr. Scott but my squad has to leave. The incident has been reported to the FBI and they will be over in a half an hour. In the meantime, one squad car will stay behind and watch the house from the outside." a sheriff explained chomping on his gum dramatically.

"Well, thank you." Nathan smiled meekly shaking the cop's hand before him and the police left. Haley sat down on the couch and brought her knees to her chest.

"I'm scared. I have a bad feeling that we won't find her in time." Haley frowned tears pooling at her eyes. Nathan sat next to her and gathered her in his arms.

"Don't talk like that." Nathan whispered. "We're going to find her, and she'll be fine."

"I'm already thinking we're too late." Haley pulled away from Nathan and wiped her eyes. "It's been hours." The realization of Haley's words finally set into Nathan's brain. Peyton was most likely long gone by now.

"There has to be hope." Nathan whispered after awhile. Haley hugged him tightly. Nathan felt so inferior now. All he could do was sit and wait for any news of Peyton's inhabitance or if she was even alive anymore. All they were riding on was hope, and it was fading fast.

_**OoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO**_

The worst, Peyton thought, was over. Missing a few fingernails, holes in her stomach, and the mind numbing pain her brain was battling to block out, it all didn't seem so bad anymore. Maybe this was the way it was planned for her to die. She must've pissed someone off 'up there' in order for her to endure this horrible and excruciatingly painfully slow death.

The apprehension of no one coming to rescue her already set in a long time ago. While Derrick was removing her second fingernail from her finger, she realized that it had already been hours. If no one had found her yet, then she was screwed.

"Still alive, my pet?" Derrick whispered, now beside her ear. She lolled her head to the opposite side he was on and groaned. She could hear that it pleased him by the small laugh he let out. "Good. Onto Part 3." Peyton decided to humor herself and see what she had to face next.

A jagged piece of glass was being held on to by metal tongs over a blue fire. He rotated it slightly before turning back toward Peyton. "Now hold still." Peyton squirmed a bit, hoping that she still had a chance to get away. Reality snapped into perspective for her once the hot piece of glass burned and cut right below her right shoulder blade. It must have been doused in a chemical, because it really and truly blazed while freezing at the same time. She could feel her skin separate as he finished dragging it across. She stared down at the blood that was pooling on her jeans. How much more did she have to endure before she would die?

"Oh, no no." Derrick cooed, now by her face with the glass. "You can't go yet." He kissed her cheek lightly and drug the piece of glass across her arm. "The real fun hasn't started yet." Tears refused to leave her body. She was all cried out by now. All she could think about when Derrick put the glass down and unbuttoned his pants was Lucas. That was her paradise away from this hell. The one thing she knew she could never have back, and the same thing that she was madly in love with.

_**OoooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooooO**_

"What time is it?" Brooke groaned, stumbling into the kitchen the next morning.

"It's seven." Haley answered, clicking off the pot of coffee and pouring Brooke a glass. "Nathan is out looking for Lucas. You can have breakfast if you want."

"I'm not hungry." Brooke frowned, grabbing the cup off of the counter and taking a seat. The hot liquid burned her tongue, but she kept chugging. "Any news?"

"No. I'm sorry." Haley frowned. Brooke dropped her head to the counter. Her mothering instincts took over and Haley took a seat beside Brooke.

"We're going to find her." Haley whispered, rubbing Brooke's back. "Don't worry." Brooke turned and sobbed into Haley's shoulder. Nathan opened the back door and closed it quietly behind him as he took in the scene in front of him.

"Anything new?" Haley mouthed, stroking Brooke's hair as her wails grew louder. Nathan shook his head glumly.

"Is she-?" Nathan mouthed, pointing toward Brooke.

"Just woke up." Haley answered in the same way. Nathan nodded his head toward Brooke's room and Haley nodded back.

"Hey, Brooke?" Nathan said quietly. "Why don't you go back and lay down? Don't worry, I'll help you."

"Okay." Brooke cried. Nathan grabbed her under her knees and placed a firm hand on her back before lifting her off the chair.

"Thank you." Haley whispered, giving him a quick peck on the cheek before he took off. Haley grabbed Brooke's coffee cup off the counter and carried it over to the sink and started washing it.

"Hello?" A voice called as the front door opened and closed.

"Who's there?" Haley answered, poking her head around the kitchen doorframe. Standing in the foyer was a rugged Lucas with the same clothes he had on the other day. "Luke!" Haley ran at Lucas and threw her arms around him. He returned the greeting by wrapping his arms around her. "Oh my God!" Haley exclaimed. "I've been so worried!"

"I'm sorry." Lucas whispered, his voice broken. "It's just…." he pulled away. "Been a long night." Haley wrinkled her nose in dissatisfaction.

"Is that vodka?" she asked.

"Sorry." Lucas apologized, covering his mouth quickly. "I didn't have time to go home."

"I'm sure Nathan could pick you up some clothes." Haley said, jabbing her thumb toward Brooke's bedroom.

"Alright. Fine." Lucas said. He peered up the stairs, where he knew Peyton's bedroom used to be. "Any news?"

"No." Haley sighed, digging her hands into her pockets. "Sorry."

"How's Brooke?" Lucas whispered.

"She's had better days." Haley answered.

"That bad?"

"That bad." Haley nodded. "How are you?"

"I'd have to say the same thing." Lucas muttered. "It's just…" he motioned up the stairs with his hand before breaking down into broken sobs. He sounded like he was all cried out.

"Oh, Luke." Haley whispered, wrapping her arms around him. "It's okay." Every time Lucas cried, his whole body would shake in unison. She wrapped her arms tighter around him every time. Soon it got to be where Haley couldn't hold on anymore. "Let's go get you cleaned up, huh?"

"No." Lucas sniffled, pulling away from her and wiping his eyes. "I'm gonna run back home. I'll be back. I just wanted to check on things."

"Are you sure?" Haley asked.

"Ya." he nodded meekly. "I love ya. Say hi to Nathan for me." He kissed Haley's cheek before escaping out the door.


	8. Green's

Chapter 8: Green's

"We have a lead." a burly cop with a sketch pad said. He had on a navy blue jacket with the letters 'F.B.I.' on it. "We got a report about a car that was stolen around the same time the kidnapper escaped. I've sent a few men down there to check it out."

"When will we find out if you've found something?" Haley asked anxiously.

"When the squad calls me." the man answered. "Don't worry, we should have word soon." The cop was drug aside by a man with another clipboard.

"Is Brooke-" Haley started, turning toward her husband.

"Sleeping? Ya. Those pills work like a charm." he answered, letting out a short laugh. Haley rubbed her forehead in thought.

"And Jaime-"

"Is with my mom. I've already called her." Nathan finished.

"Did you get Lucas-?"

"Clothes? Yes. He's taking a shower and should be over here any minute." Nathan nodded.

"That's really starting to get-"

"Annoying? I know." Nathan sighed. Haley hit him playfully, but soon realized that this was not the time or place to make jokes. "So, how are you feeling?" Nathan asked.

"Tired, but fine." Haley answered with a sigh. She was staring intently at the cops, trying to see if she could read their lips.

"Are you sure?" Nathan asked.

"Yep." she said, offering him a tired smile. He rubbed her shoulders.

"Will you tell me when you're feeling bad _**before **_I have to drive you to the emergency room?" Nathan asked.

"I will, Nathan." Haley reassured him. "Don't worry." She gave him a quick peck on the lips and turned back toward the police.

A static voice came across the radio. "We've thoroughly checked the Green's Mill and it's vacant. Over."

The cop clicked the button on the side of the black walkie-talkie. "Are you positive?"

"Yes, sir." the static voice responded through the static.

"Alright. Report back here. Over and out." the guy turned the knob at the top of the device and went back to his conversation with the younger police man, paying no mind to Nathan and Haley's worried looks.

Lucas strolled through the door, making his way around the cops. "Anything new?" There were dark bags under his eyes that were much more visible now. He looked like he needed a long overdue nap.

"Well," Haley debated telling Lucas what they overheard. Instead, Nathan broke in.

"Ya, they found a stolen car abandoned on the side of a road." he sighed, trying to avoid Haley's glare. "It's right by a mill. They checked it out and it's deserted."

"Which mill?" Lucas asked his voice more urgent.

"Luke-"

"Which mill?" he repeated with a more hostile tone.

"Green's." Haley replied with a sigh. "But they already-" Lucas broke into a sprint and ran for the door, pushing past the policemen who were now talking in hushed whispers.


	9. Rescue

_**Author's Note: **_The last chapter of my story. I appreciate all the reviews and nice comments. It's really helped me a lot. Some of you will be surprised with this ending, but I decided to be different and switch it up a bit. Please review even if you don't like it. I always love hearing from you guys. I hope you enjoy the **last** **chapter** :)

Chapter 9: Rescue

"Peyton, Peyton." Derrick laughed, shaking his head back and forth. Her face was covered in cuts and bruises. She was pretty sure her lip was busted. She had resisted before and she paid the consequences by taking a punch to the eye and many punches to the lip.

"Please." she choked out. Her voice had been gone hours ago from screaming so loud. On top of that, she could barely get the words to escape from her bloodied lips.

"Peyton?" a low, muffled voice called. Footsteps sounded above them. The realization that they were underground in a cellar hit her like a ton of bricks. She knew this place; she just thought she had been crazy before.

It was the Green's old mill. Lucas used to follow her out here sometimes to watch her paint. The landscape was absolutely beautiful out here. Hope glimmered in her eyes. They had found this old cellar years ago. She grew tired of drawing one day, and her and Lucas went exploring. After all, the mill had been abandoned for years.

"Lucas!" she tried to scream, but it came out a loud whisper. Derrick shot her an angry look and covered her mouth. The fresh tears that streamed out of her eyes startled her. How could her eyes produce so much moisture?

"Wouldn't want to spoil the fun, would you?" he asked. "I knew he would come." he whispered as he grabbed for something and clenched it in his other hand. The hand that was covering her mouth blocked out her view. She couldn't see what he was holding.

"Peyton? Are you here?" the voice called. She wanted desperately to yell 'I'M RIGHT HERE! HELP!' but she couldn't get her voice to work. Despite the hand covering her mouth, she didn't have a voice anymore. It had been long gone hours ago.

The sound of a gun cocking sent a new surge of panic through her. She could deal with the thought of her own death, but the thought of Lucas's sent her over the edge. She fought against the hand before it finally released her. "No!" she squeaked out, surprised she had that left in her. "Please don't! You have me!" The glint of Derrick's evil glare shot back at her. He kissed her neck, the only part that wasn't bloody, and leaned in to whisper in her ear.

"I have you, and now I have him." He whispered. "One more sound and you'll both get shot." Peyton bit her dry tongue, not caring if her one chance at survival would have to leave her. She wasn't going to risk his life by calling for help.

"PEYTON?" the muffled voice grew louder and more distinct. "PEYTON! CAN YOU HEAR ME?"

Derrick followed his voice and hid behind a dark wall in a corner, adjacent from her chair and right beside the cellar entrance door.

"Peyton?" the wooden door creaked open and Peyton tried to scream out to Lucas but her voice had vanished. The light from the day blinded her. Her chair was set up against a wall that was far off to his right. The door shut behind Lucas, plunging the room once again into darkness. "What the-"

"Surprise!" Derrick's eerie voice cackled, switching on a dim light in the corner. Lucas spun toward him.

"Where's Peyton?" he demanded, somehow sounding threatening even though Derrick had the gun. Peyton lifted her heavy head and tried to say something, but it didn't work. Instead, she groaned softly. Lucas whipped around to see the unspeakable sight of an injured, bloody, tortured, half-naked Peyton. It made him sick to his stomach to see her like that. "You're gonna die." Lucas yelled, lunging at Derrick. Derrick shot one off, but Lucas hit the gun out of his hand in time and it went flying across the floor. Lucas and Derrick collapsed in one big heap as Lucas pounded his fists into Derrick. All the anger and hurt behind the punch made it sting that much worse, and he ignored the pain in his knuckles as they screamed in protest. His arms soon grew tired of punching and they slowed just enough for Derrick to take over. He reached for an object that lay on the floor, and he bashed it against Lucas's head, causing a gash wound and his opponent to become momentarily dazed.

Derrick scrambled to his feet as Lucas grabbed his head. He dug around for another weapon, and instead picked up the drill. But by the time he did that, Lucas had beaten him to it. He grabbed it before Derrick could and he plunged it into his gut, turning it on full blast. Lucas grabbed a knife and stabbed it into his chest as he threw the bloody power drill across the room.

"Don't even think about it." Lucas said as Derrick reached for something on the ground when he collapsed. He smashed his foot into Derrick's wrist, hearing the snap of it. "Don't you ever come near her again." Lucas threatened, picking up a stone that was lying in the corner. He thought about it, but figured this was the only way to get Derrick (Ian Banks) to finally stop. With all his might, he bashed the stone into Derrick's head. Blood trickled out of his mouth as he fell back on the ground limp. Lucas had finally killed him.

Lucas half stumbled over to Peyton who had her head hanged lifelessly. "Peyton?" he whispered, undoing the leather restraints that bound her to the chair. Her body collapsed in his arms once she was free. "Peyton?" he called again, laying her on the ground and stroking her cheeks.

Peyton's jagged breath sent a surge of relief through him. "Luke." She managed to choke out.

"I'm right here." He sobbed, ecstatic that she was okay.

"I've—" her voice was barely a whisper, but Lucas listened and caught every word. "I've…never…stopped…loving…you."

"Peyton-"

"And…I…never…will." The pain that was visible on Peyton's face was lifted, and for a moment she was able to give Lucas a smile. She was surprised to feel a tear slide down her cheek. And she knew this was it. This was the end for her.

It always got better in the end.

_**XXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXXX**_

_**Ending Author's Note: **_I am a fan of Peyton and Leyton so in no means am I trying to say otherwise.


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